Alvaro Collaço was awarded Papal Benemerenti Medal for lifelong services to the Church
LONDON
Goans from different walks of life paid their last respects to former chairman of the Goan Overseas Association (GOA) UK, Joaquim Florencio Alvaro Collaço, better known as Alvaro Collaço, at a memorial service in St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, West Norwood in South London on February 10.
Alvaro had passed away peacefully in London on December 31st, 2024.
A number of relatives and friends were present at the service, which was conducted by the Parish Priest Fr Celestine Ekwueme and Fr Alfred Ebalu. Alvaro’s son, Avelino, delivered the eulogy at the service.
After the church service, the final rites were conducted at a private cremation service, attended by the close family members, together with a series of personal tributes by granddaughter Laura Collaço, grandson Joe D’Mello and daughter Anita D’Mello.
Friends and relatives later gathered at the Dulwich & Sydenham Hill Golf Club, South London, where Alvaro’s granddaughter, Danielle D’Mello delivered her personal tribute to her grandfather Alvaro Collaço.
Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão also extended his condolence message to the bereaved family.
LIFE, WORK
Born in Jinja-Uganda, Alvaro Collaço studied in Goa and Poona and then returned to Entebbe-Uganda, where he served in the government ministries for over 19 years, retiring in 1973 as Acting Head of the Budget Department in the Ministry of Finance, responsible for the national infrastructure budget.
Alvaro Collaço, his wife Afra, and their children, Avelino, Alina, Annabel and Anita moved to the UK in 1973, amongst the last Asians to leave Uganda.
In the UK, Alvaro worked as Company Secretary for the Technical Education and Training Organisation for Overseas Countries (TETOC) which later merged into the British Council, retiring as Assistant Director of its Educational Contracts Department in 1992.
ACTIVITIES
Alvaro was credited by the British Council for having improved the lives of many people through technical education, across all the countries he managed.
His retirement was dedicated to many voluntary activities, whilst enjoying family time and trips to Goa, where he supported numerous benevolent causes.
He campaigned tirelessly to secure pensions for widows expelled from Uganda and after more than a decade of persistence with the government, he succeeded in obtaining their back-dated index-linked payments – life changing sums that significantly improved their quality of life, in countries such as UK, Canada, Australia, USA and Mauritius.
Alvaro played an active role in the G.O.A. (UK) for many years and was Chairman of their Council of Management from 1983 to 1986. He was instrumental in the acquisition of the G.O.A. (UK) clubhouse in Beckenham in 1983 and in setting up the former Standing Conference of Goan Organisations (SCOGO), now known as the GOAN festival, from its origins.
He was also instrumental in establishing the Uganda Reunion and was involved in many other organisations. He also served as Governor of the St Francis Xavier 6th Form College in Clapham.
Alvaro was awarded the Papal Benemerenti Medal for services to the Goan Community, to his parish of West Norwood where he was Chair of the Parish Council for an unprecedented 13 years and for his lifelong services to the Church in general.
TRIBUTES
Mervyn Maciel (95), who had served as Senior Civil Servant of Her Majesty’s Overseas Civil Service in Kenya before moving to the UK, said he would always remember Alvaro with great affection as one who worked tirelessly for the Goan community in the UK.
“It is a pity I never met Alvaro in East Africa as we were serving in different areas – he in Uganda and I in Kenya – but I was very impressed on my first meeting with this man when I came to England,” recalled Mervyn.
“He had nothing but Goan blood flowing through his veins. He was passionate about doing things with the uplift of the community in mind. He certainly gave his best in every respect.”
Mervyn said his own interaction with Alvaro was more in connection with the G.O.A. UK Newsletter which he was responsible for.
“A great organiser and stickler for perfection, Alvaro used to contact me regularly each month as I’d promised to contribute an article for the magazine each month. With him, no half measures, he always believed in maintaining high standards,” said Mervyn.
“He was also closely associated with his former Uganda colleague, my late cousin, Marcus D’Souza, in setting up SCOGO, an umbrella organisation of Goan Village Associations.”
“He has certainly left a void in our community which will be hard to fill.”
Watford Borough Councillor Rabi Martins, former secretary, president and chairman of G.O.A. UK, said the G.O.A. UK will forever remain as his legacy to the Goan Community in the UK.
“Whenever I think of Alvaro Collaco, the phrase that comes to my mind is ‘A gentle giant with Wisdom, Foresight and Determination’,” said Rabi.
“I had the pleasure and privilege of working with Alvaro on the project to secure a Club House and Sports Ground for the Association in London. At the time, he was chairman of the G.O.A Council of management. Whilst many of us were reticent about taking on such a daunting project he assured us it was an achievable goal.”
“And so it proved to be one. It is a testimony to the man’s humble style that he always maintained the credit for the achievement belonged to the Committee. But those of us who were close to the project and to Alvaro at the time, know that we could not have done it without him. Although sadly the Club House is no longer there, the Goan Association UK will forever remain as his legacy to the Goan Community in the UK.”
